


orange doesn't clash with turquoise

by sleepyToto



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Everyone Loves Hinata Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, Multi, Seijoh!hinata, Self-Indulgent, aobjajohsai hinata shoyou, au - aoba johsai hinata, hinata is precious and they all love him and his perfect hair and would kill for him, my first ever fic i hope u enjoy!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:08:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 5,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25663402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sleepyToto/pseuds/sleepyToto
Summary: Instead of attending Karasuno, Hinata goes to Aoba Johsai in hopes of becoming his own version of the Tiny Giant. The Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club is upgraded to the Protect Hinata Shouyou Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou & Aobajousai Volleyball Club, Hinata Shouyou/Iwaizumi Hajime, Hinata Shouyou/Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 115
Kudos: 1122





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my first ever fanfic that I've attempted to write. I don't know where it'll go, but it's going somewhere! I definitely have an idea of where I want it. Please enjoy.

All that Oikawa can do is raise his eyebrows. The short ( _very short_ ) first year in front of him- with the brightest orange hair he’s ever laid eyes on- is bowing and holding out an application. Specifically, an application to his volleyball club.

A moment passes. He is still bowing. Standing next to Oikawa is Iwaizumi, who takes the paper from his hand and - is that a glint in his eye? - scans it. Oikawa’s eyebrows are still arched up.

“Hinata Shouyou. Practice is already starting today, but you can come if you’d like. I saw you at the Kitagawa Daiichi game. You weren’t bad, kid, but if you want to be on the team, you’re going to have to brush up on your basics. I’m looking forward to you joining,” Iwaizumi gently says, as if he didn’t just give the kid ( _Hinata Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou_ ) what sounded like a backhanded compliment. _Then again_ , Oikawa mused, _when does he ever ease up from his brutal honesty?_

Regardless of that, the kid- Hinata, he repeats in his head- looks up and beams with a smile brighter than the sun, all from one sort-of compliment. “Really?! You saw my game? It definitely wasn’t my best, actually it was my first one ever, well, my only real one ever, but I’ve been practicing more and more! I moved here just a few months ago and I knew this was basically a really amazing school for volleyball, and other sports too I bet, so I was super duper excited to try out!” he continues to ramble about how he just moved here, how much he loves volleyball, his love for Karasuno’s Tiny Giant, and Oikawa just finds the whole thing kind of adorable. If Iwaizumi is interested in the kid trying out, then he can’t just say no to that, regardless of how shrimpy Hinata looks.

He decides to chime in, “Well, Hinata, we’ll be ready to see you on the court later! We planned to have three-on-three games for today, but don’t stress out. Practice games are just practice.” He didn’t have practice games lined up for today, actually, but he can just let Coach Nobuteru know. The captain knows his team best, after all. Besides, what better way to get to know someone’s abilities than just pushing them straight into a game?

Hinata just looks at him like he hung the moon. “Of course, senpai! I’ll be there! Thank you so much!” he basically shouts. Again, he bows, but lingers and looks up with a look of embarrassment. “Um.. I’m Hinata Shouyou,” he says, as though Iwaizumi hadn’t just read his name out loud.

But he knows what he means, and Oikawa almost laughs. “And I’m Oikawa Tooru,” he introduces with a cheeky grin.

Iwaizumi claps Hinata’s shoulder and says, “I’m Iwaizumi Hajime. We’ll see you later, Hinata. We all should get to class.” Right on cue, the bell rings, signifying that lunch is nearly over. They split ways with the first year and wave him goodbye and- oh, that’s a skip in his step. How adorable times two.

Hinata is out of sight. It’s time to gossip. “So.” Oikawa says, expectantly.

“So.” Iwaizumi parrots.

“Kitagawa Daiichi? I didn’t know he was on the team. He must be alright if he actually played in the games.” He swears he would have remembered seeing that face on his old middle school team. Hinata seemed to be a bundle of energy, and such a presence wouldn’t have gone unnoticed.

“He wasn’t on Kitagawa. He was with some no-name school, I don’t think they even had a real volleyball team. Just some other kids he must have convinced to play with him so he could try playing an actual game. But even if he doesn’t have much experience, he...” he hesitates for a second. Oikawa can’t tell what the look in his eye means. “He can fly.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy! I appreciate all constructive criticism or any other comments.

Moving closer to Seijoh wasn’t Hinata’s choice. He was moving further away from his goal of living up to the legend of Karasuno’s number 10, away from his first inspiration, and would have to make new friends. He wouldn’t have to ride his bike through the mountain to get to school, but he wouldn’t have minded in the first place. All he knew of Aoba Johsai was that their volleyball team was good, and he was dead set on joining. He had to. If he couldn’t go to Karasuno, he would make a legend out of himself.

He groaned out loud. At least Natsu would have better opportunities than him at.. at _Kitagawa._ He shuddered. It still sucked to remember his first game and how embarrassing it was, but it was a driving force. He would remember the King and how utterly destroyed he was by him, and he was going to work his ass off to beat him the next time he saw him.

But first- joining the club. He was already a few weeks into the beginning of his first year, slowly getting adjusted to his new, fancy uniform and his classes, and he had finally gotten the opportunity to fill out a volleyball application. The only problem was that he didn’t know who to turn it in to.

 _Hmm.._ Hinata muses. _May as well ask a classmate. I’ll be making a new friend and get my answer._ He shifts in his seat, turning around to ask the tall boy behind him with black hair. His face is familiar, too, but he can’t put his finger on it. “Hey! Excuse me, but do you know anything about the volleyball club? I don’t know who to turn this in to.” The boy looks at him with surprise written all over his face.

“You don’t remember me, do you? From the Kitagawa Daiichi match? I’ve seen you around, I wasn’t sure if you were going to join or not, but I can tell you right now,” he stands up and pokes his head out of their classroom door, “that those are the captains. You should give it to them.” Hinata blushes.

 _Oh. I remember him._ He immediately begins to apologize, but he’s waved down and given an introduction. “Kunimi Akira. I never got your name, but you’re hard to forget.” The look on his face is indescribable, but Hinata feels his eyes staring right into his soul. He can’t look away.

“H-Hinata! Hinata Shouyou! Thank you! I’m going to turn this in!” After his embarrassing introduction, he quickly turns around and zooms through the door. Face red, he approaches the two figures and offers them his application.

The entire time, he is starstruck.

Iwaizumi-senpai is so nice.

Oikawa-senpai is so cool.

All he remembers is that his captains are amazing and that he’s going to be playing in an actual practice game with good volleyball players. He’s not even sick at the thought.

He walks back into his class and approaches Kunimi’s desk. He grins, eyes crinkling, proclaiming, “Kunimi! I’ll be playing in your practice game today! I’m ready to face you again- I won’t lose this time!”

Kunimi looks up at him. “I’m looking forward to it, Hinata. Don’t suck so hard this time,” he ends with a teasing smile.

Hinata stutters through his denials that _no, he doesn’t suck, he’s been practicing a ton more, get ready to eat dust when he loses to him,_ and Kunimi just keeps smiling. He’s never been a fan of loud, energetic people, but Hinata has a warm spark to him that he’s drawn to. Plus, he’s interested. His team may have won their match against each other, but he can’t help but feel as if he’s lost something against Hinata. He wants to see what Hinata can do this time- with a better team, what a few more months of practice have done for him, what he’ll become.

It’s funny. He’s never felt so intrigued by someone in his life.

**\------**

Everyone around thought Hinata would be a libero, and who was Kunimi to ruin the surprise?

But Hinata's failed receives and lack of game strategy was embarrassing- enough for Kunimi to finally call his name out- “Hinata!”- as he was ready to set. The loud, quick footsteps squeaked against the court, and a deafening _thud_ against the other team’s side resonated. He thinks Hinata jumps higher this time around. 

Silence surrounds them, yet the gobsmacked faces of the volleyball club speak for themselves.

Hinata breaks the silence.

“Alright Kunimi! Thank you for setting to me! That felt amazing,” he gushed, not holding back in his compliments, “ _You’re_ amazing!” Kunimi shifts his weight.

“I trusted you,” is all he says. But he feels an odd amount of pride in himself for being able to show off Hinata like that, to prove to everyone that this boy was more than his height- that he could take off into the skies and _jump._

And for the first time in his life, Hinata feels accomplished. Powerful, even, and relieved that he was trusted to score. “But do you see? I _have_ been practicing!” His happiness is contagious enough for Kindaichi to join in.

“H-Hinata! That was great! It’s just like I remembered from last time!” he praises. Hinata almost falls over from the hard slap on his back from Kindaichi, but he feels encouraged, and maybe even a little bashful. He rubs a hand over his neck and starts to humble himself, but he’s interrupted.

Oikawa bends underneath the net to meet Hinata, and he’s smiling, but the look in his eye looks hungry and wild. He puts his hands on Hinata’s shoulders and tells him, “Welcome to the team, Shou-chan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, I feel as though I could work on adding more details? Mostly during dialogue, it feels as though I don't give enough. What are your thoughts? Am I just being too picky or reading into it too much (haha) or do you feel as though it needs more, too?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, please enjoy! Thank you for reading and all of your sweet comments and support. It means much more to me than you all know.

When Hinata jumps, Oikawa feels breathless. The athletic ability he has that Oikawa could shape and turn into a weapon- he already thinks of looking down at Ushijima when _Seijoh will beat them-_ and he knows they need Hinata. When he welcomes him, the entire team feels a burst of energy and fire in their bellies, ready to practice harder than ever and to get Hinata on the same level as the rest of them.

Matsukawa and Hanamaki, always the duo, immediately poke fun at their newest member, teasing him about his face receives and cooing at his embarrassment, never mind that the kid just _flew,_ he’s cute and adorable and they won’t stop bringing up his lack of ability in his basics down. Kunimi and Kindaichi are glad to add another member to their first-year trio, and Yahaba and Watari both welcome him, offering their supports as teammates to help him improve. Iwaizumi ruffles his hair and tells him, _good job, kid._

And so Shouyou adapts to the team dynamic quickly, flowing in and out of conversations as if he’s always belonged, teasing Kindaichi and laughing with Hanamaki and Matsukawa as they poke fun at Oikawa, never being afraid to ask for a toss or practice receives. Seijoh feels a gap being filled that they never knew they had and are grateful for the orange haired teen that has entered their lives.

**\----**

Practices fill Hinata will a sense of joy and belonging. He may not be as skilled as the other players, with their clean receives and gameplay sense, but he knows that he’s slowly learning, picking up on small details he’s never noticed before, like how Kunimi doesn’t work himself to his limits and saves his energy, how Matsukawa’s blocks are calculated and ready to react in a moment’s minute, and how Iwaizumi’s spikes don’t rely on just hitting the ball- he _slams_ it down, giving his opponents no time to bring it back into the air.

The admiration he feels for every single one of his teammates is unfiltered, and he freely lets himself praise them, _wow Senpai, that was incredible! That was worth 100 points!_ And to his oblivious nature, every one of his teammates compete against each other to be the recipient of his sweet, sweet words. No one is safe. Oikawa steals the attention more than usual, and even Kunimi puts a little more effort into actually attending practice.

Iwaizumi is amazed at the influence that one person can have. _Dangerous,_ he muses, and sweat drops when he sees Hinata come up to him during a break.

“Iwa-senpai, can I ask you something?” he shyly questions. His hands are clasped behind his back and he look up at him beneath his eyelashes.

 _Anything,_ he thinks, _but please call me that again._ He clears his throat (and mind) and replies, “What’s up?”

“Well, I was just wondering, since the other sports teams do it, are we ever going to practice with other schools?” his nose crinkles, and immediately he backtracks. “I’m not saying that it’s bad to practice with each other! But.. don’t you think it would help if we played against people we don’t usually see all the time?” He’s not wrong.

Iwaizumi ponders how to answer, and finally comes up with, “We used to play against other schools all the time. If we wanted to, we could offer a practice game, but we’ve gotten a little out of contact with the other schools. I think the old coach before Nobuteru-san had a falling out or something with the other coaches, and they’ve just never extended an invitations to practice with them.” He sees Hinata’s face fall and continues speaking, “But we occasionally practice with nearby university teams. They’re good, with more experience.”

This seems to placate Hinata, who nods with his hand on his chin, deep in thought. “That is pretty cool. I guess I’d just like to practice with people we might be competing against at nationals,” he replies, “I mean- if we make it! But we’re a strong team, so I believe in us!” His optimistic nature makes Iwaizumi feels like they really can do it. He thinks he believes they will, too. Hinata turns away with a smile, going to practice blocking with Matsukawa and Hanamaki.

He has an idea.

**\----**

He brings up the idea to Tooru, who then brings it up to Coach Nobuteru, who then gets into contact with the other schools.

A few rough patches soothed over and the explanation that _yes, this is the new coach_ and that _my kids would like to practice with your teams,_ and they were on their way to a three-day camp to practice with Fukurodani.

On the bus ride, Hinata sits behind him with a smirk on his face that says _I know you were behind this._ He shrugs and turns with a warmth in his chest. When he closes his eyes, he dreams of orange and turquoise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive criticism is always welcomed :) Thank you for keeping up with my story. <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow all of your comments are so sweet, i get so happy reading every single one of them! thank you all for taking the time to read my fic :)

When they step off the bus, they are warmly welcomed by the Fukurodani team- their ace and captain, Bokuto Kotaro, immediately rushes up, waves of excitement rolling off him like a little puppy.

“Hey, hey, hey! I bet you guys had a long trip! But as soon as we get inside, we’re warming up right away and starting our games, so I hope you’re ready!” Very hyper. In fact, he’s starting to remind them of-

“Oh, wow, your hair is so much cooler in person! My teammates were talking about you, they said you’re one of Japan’s top five spikers, I can’t wait to play against you!” And- oh dear. You can see the stars in his eyes.

Bokuto turns, wide-eyed, towards the source of the voice. And here comes the start of a brand new, beautiful friendship.

The members of Seijoh hover protectively (is that jealousy in their eyes?) over Hinata.

Bokuto pays them no mind.

**\----**

Hanamaki and Matsukawa considered themselves a package deal. Two handsome, tall, funny guys that served as the comedic relief when the team needed a mental break- that was what they considered their role- and with the addition of the kid that Hanamaki insisted _looks like a tangerine, I swear,_ they only upped the level of their teasing and jokes, if only to get the kid to even crack the smallest of smiles or grace them with his laughter.

To say they enjoyed making Hinata happy was an understatement, and with this three-day camp, both found themselves in a little bit of a predicament.

That is so say- the Fukurodani kids ( _enemies, Mattsun, they’re the enemies_ ) seemed to find themselves rather attached to their short middle blocker, taking up _their_ time with Hinata during the breaks, making him laugh, staying longer after practice to offer tips, and that was not in the best interests of Seijoh.

Okay. So maybe they were going a little overboard. Hinata was having a great time, and that’s all that mattered, right? It shouldn’t be a problem if the kid wanted to spend time with his new friends or get advice from one of the “top five spikers in Japan.” (Iwaizumi scoffs.)

They could do this.

**\----**

They couldn’t do this.

The past two nights, Hinata has _totally_ stayed up past the unspoken designated bedtime they’ve set ( _Hinata, you’re a growing boy, you need your rest if you wanna get taller,_ a cheeky voice says) with the Fukurodani members.

Oikawa and Iwaizumi peek through the windows of the gym doors.

Hinata, in a two-on-two with Konoha against Akaashi and Bokuto, fakes a spike, tipping it over. The sound of the ball hitting the floor echoes, and it only takes a minute for Bokuto to meet Hinata with a head ruffle, picking him up from the floor to swing him around. They can’t completely make out what he’s saying, but he’s no doubt claiming Hinata as his student, because he must have been the one to teach him that.

They tear their eyes away and look at each other, an unspoken language between them going on.

Oikawa huffs.

Iwaizumi nods.

They open the doors, loud enough for all the occupants to turn their heads toward them. Hinata has a guilty look on his face, probably because he got caught, but he waves anyway. Iwaizumi frowns.

“Hinata, we get that you can’t get enough practice, but everyone has their limits. You need to rest. Sometimes you need to know when to take better care of your body, regardless of what your mind is saying,” Iwaizumi scolds him. He’s being entirely truthful.

It wasn’t unusual for Hinata to stay longer than usual, begging Oikawa to toss to him and roping anyone else he could into staying. It wouldn’t have been a problem if Hinata hadn’t shown signs of a fever- no doubt getting cold from the chilly wind outside when he biked home, especially when it blew against his sweat, and neglecting to pay attention to his health. That was where he drew the line.

Oikawa, competitive as he was, even understood where his limits were. Hinata’s passion was fiery, his deep desire to improve constantly fueled the fire in the people around him, and his inability to stop when he needed to would only cause future problems and develop bad habits in himself. He was no stranger to this concept, after all.

Hinata begins to protest, but Oikawa interrupts him. “No buts, Shouyou. We’re looking out for you. You need to go to bed and let your friends-“ his eyes shift up to the Fukurodani members “-get some rest, too.” He feels an odd sense of sadness for Shouyou, who has finally been able to throw himself into the world of volleyball, to practice with powerhouse schools, and here is Oikawa telling him to take a break. The hunger inside him can never be satiated, but he will learn the importance of his health, as well as the legitimate concern his teammates have for him.

Surprisingly, Bokuto speaks up, too. “They’re right, Hinata. We’ve been taking up a lot of your time, and I have to admit that even Konoha and Akaashi here,” he brings his arms around both of their shoulders, “have had to drag me away from the court, too.”

“Hinata-kun, I think it is in our best interests if you get some rest, too. Tomorrow is our last day to practice together, and we want everyone to be at their full potential, don’t you think?” The question is posed by Akaashi, a soft smile accompanying it. Konoha just nods in agreement.

They certainly didn’t expect them to be so.. agreeable, but the Seijoh players are grateful for it. Hinata brightens, and replies, “You’re right, guys. I’m sorry,” a sheepish grin, an embarrassed chuckle, “but I definitely want to play against everyone at their best! Thank you for staying behind and always practicing with me during the breaks. I guess I do get a little hardcore, but I’ll work on it. I just really like to play volleyball with you guys.”

Everyone in the room feels their faces get red with that statement, their hearts clenching. How is it that someone can be so openly sweet and not know what impact it has on people?

After their goodbyes, Hinata murmurs another apology to Oikawa and Iwaizumi on the way back to their room. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you guys worry.”

They just wrap their arms around him in a silent response.

**\----**

The next morning, Shouyou is woken up by Oikawa.

He almost regrets it. He looks so peaceful, his facial features relaxed. Looking closer, he can see the sunspots on his face. Oikawa was never one to deny when someone was attractive, and he had nothing against admitting that Shouyou was one of the prettiest people he had ever met. A voice interrupts his thinking.

“Don’t get too lost in those thoughts,” comes from the source of Hanamaki, smirking.

Oikawa scowls, and in his denials, Hinata makes a small noise. He slowly sits up, stretching and rubbing his eyes with a fist. If you were to ask any of the members, it was like watching Sleeping Beauty arise from a deep sleep, gracing the world with her- _his-_ presence. Someone sighs dreamily.

What was living before him like, again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> as always, any constructive criticism is welcomed warmly by me. thanks for reading, everyone! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaah wow! Everybody's comments literally make my heart melt and I go goo-goo like a baby. You all are so sweet, thank you for your support and telling me what you like about the fic :) It's my first one and I'm glad I can make people happy. Softy Seijoh is my fave! Maybe I'll try giving other volleyball team AUs a try! (Do I hear Nekoma or Fukurodani Hinata next? :O) Please enjoy!

Hinata truly couldn’t believe his luck.

Within a span of a month, he’s been able to join an amazing team and practice with one of the best schools in Tokyo, as well as becoming actual friends with someone who was pretty much a volleyball idol. The last game of camp is about to happen, and he intends to make it count.

It’s going down.

That is, he _will_ make it go down once he’s no longer distracted by Iwaizumi’s strong muscles as they finish up their diving penalty. He sighs. His senpai is so awesome. Even when doing penalties, he does it so gracefully.

He pauses and groans. If someone told him that he would be crushing on one of teammates, he’d have called them stupid or.. or something. And it’s not like he did it intentionally- he was just so.. so _cool!_ He’s never had a support system like this before, and when someone just pops in with a nonchalant, bad boy attitude but is actually super sweet and patient, he thinks anyone would find it difficult to not like Iwaizumi.

 _No! Volleyball_ only _. I can’t screw this up, it’s my last game here!_ It certainly didn’t help any when he was babied last night by Oikawa and Iwaizumi, being forced to go to bed by all the upperclassmen. He’s still so embarrassed. Volleyball is very important to him- it’s what he lives for at this point- and being told no by Oikawa made him frustrated.

Of course, he knew his health was important, and yeah- he could recognize he’s not the best at recognizing where his limits were, but… couldn’t they see how much it meant to him? He starting to feel restless.

He just wants to prove to his teammates that he’s good enough to stand by himself on the court.

**\----**

It happens when Hinata tries to block Bokuto’s spike.

When he lands, his ankle rolls underneath him, and almost instantly he begins to collapse to the ground. Besides him, Kindaichi cries his name is surprise and catches him softly, slowly lowing him to sit down. 

Pain fills him and it’s all he can take to not cry, the only thing keeping his mind calm is how tight the grip the hand holding his is. He bites his lip and tries to breathe, but he’s never hurt his ankle this badly before, and he lets out a quick, tiny sob. The hand- Kindaichi’s- grips his tighter. A million thoughts run through his head. _Can I still play volleyball? How serious is it? It hurts it hurts it hurts, I’m letting them down, I want to keep playing, I-_

Oikawa kneels beside him and his voice is as clear as a bell.

“Shouyou, I know it hurts. It’s okay to cry. But I’m going to ask you some questions, so just try to think about answering for now, okay?” Gentle, yet assertive.

He nods, if only to focus on something else. The questions go by quickly, Oikawa narrowing down how painful it is and where it’s concentrated at.

His voice sounds relieved when he says, “It sounds like it’s a sprain. It’s nothing too drastic. You’re going to be okay, but I’m just going to carry you over to sit on the bench. Is that alright?” 

Hinata finds the words somewhere in him and mumbles a quiet, “Yes.” When he’s lifted, the burn in his ankle is almost unbearable, and he buries his face into Oikawa’s shoulder, breathing heavily. A small whisper of, “I’m sorry,” and Oikawa looks at him like he’s crazy.

He whispers in reply, “It’s not your fault, Shou-chan. These things happen,” he gestures with his head towards his own knee, “and even if we overdo what our bodies can handle, we don’t blame ourselves. We just recognize what we can do better for ourselves so there’s less of a chance for it to happen.”

Somehow, Oikawa always knows what to say. Hinata feels himself calm down, the thoughts no longer racing, and his breathing evens out.

He knows it’s going to be okay.

**\----**

Fukurodani ends up winning the match, but it leaves a bitterness in their mouths.

They give their best regards to Hinata. (They are all enraptured by him, the smallest boy putting on the toughest face and still managing to give out the gentlest smiles. He thanks every one of the members, one by one, for helping him to improve. Bokuto dramatically proclaims Hinata as his disciple and squeezes him tightly in a hug. Akaashi ruffles his hair and gives him his number- in case he ever needs someone to vent to while he recovers from his sprain.) When Seijoh boards their bus, the Fukurodani members jog after them, waving goodbye until they’re out of sight. (They can't wait to see Seijoh next time.)

Even though the end of the camp has disheartened Hinata somewhat, he feels so full of affection and admiration for everyone he’s been able to meet and play with. He can only hope they’ll be practicing together again, sometime.

He whispers to Iwaizumi, who has taken it upon himself to look after Hinata in case he might need something. (It wasn’t much of a chore. In fact, it was more like a privilege. He won against Hanamaki and Matsukawa in a rock, paper, scissors battle. Those three seats in the back can kiss his ass.) Iwaizumi looks down at Shouyou, who’s leaning his head on his shoulder. “Hey, Iwa-senpai,” (his stomach does that _flippy_ sensation), “.. Bokuto-senpai was really cool, wasn’t he?” Senpai. _Senpai._ _Bokuto-senpai._ He scowls.

He’s going to destroy Fukurodani next time. (As will the rest of the team that has subtly been eavesdropping.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember how Oikawa was injured while the Seijoh v. Karasuno practice match happened? In my head, it's Hinata that's going to be injured instead. I know this was short, but I like to write in bursts :) Do you prefer big blocks of writing/waiting longer, or shorter blocks of writing/waiting less? Let me know what you think! <3 Thanks again for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

No one is looking at his face. An unspoken agreement rests between them all.

Absolutely no practicing for him. That ankle needs to _heal_ damn it, and they will die before they let themselves inadvertently let him hurt himself.

But the pout on his face is so powerful that they can feel its effect _even without_ looking at him.

Hanamaki grabs everyone to pull them into a huddle. His face is contorted in pain, as if he’s stepping on hot coals and being pressed with needles in every part of his body at the same time. He whispers to them, “I can’t do this. I’m quitting. I think I feel like the guiltiest person on the planet and I know I shouldn’t, but I do and for the love of God, _don’t look at his face, Mattsun,_ but. Shit. Someone. Please,” and his plea is one they’ve already heard, but it still helps to hear that they’re not the only ones hearing it. His eyes are shifting from their faces to behind them and he screws them shut. “Please,” he helplessly begs.

A tuft of orange hair is visible from behind him, moving up and down.

“Just for a little bit of time! Please? I won’t even jump, I just wanna play with you guys for a little bit!”

Hanamaki starts choking. Everyone else just stares at their own shoes.

A slight crack in his voice- “Can you guys not ignore me, please?” causes a larger crack in their willpower.

Oikawa- bless his soul- takes the hit. He stands up from the huddle and forces himself to look Hinata in the eye. “Well, Shouyou.. you still haven’t been cleared by your doctor yet, and there’s the whole.. y’know.. possibility to.. You know,” his eyes shift from the watery, deep amber piercing his soul, and he clears his throat, continuing, “You know. You don’t want to hurt yourself any further.”

He thinks he’s at his breaking point. And it must be magic, because he easily would have stuck his tongue out at any other member and told them to sit and watch, but he’s so delicate with Shouyou. Shouyou can hold his own, he knows this, but he can’t help but feel so much affection for him and a desire to never see him in pain. Well… he’s his star player, after all.

A moment of silence between them.

A scuffle of shoes against the floor, and Hinata’s shoulder droop. He mumbles out a small, “Okay,” and turns around to the gym doors. He turns his head slightly. “The basketball team invited me to watch them if I couldn’t practice, and maybe show me how to throw some hoops.”

Iwaizumi’s head immediately pops up, and says, “You don’t have to do that!”

Hinata pouts, “But I can’t even do anything here, and no one is saying anything to me, so I may as well hang out with them!”

“W-Well. Don’t you want to know? About the, uh. Match? The match that we have planned, right?” His head turns and his eyes are telling them _Someone bullshit this with me right now or you’ll all suffer._

Seijoh is a mess, and yes, they know this, but it has always worked for them and it will continue to work for them, even when Kindaichi comes in with, “Yeah! With Karasuno!”

Kunimi claps his back really, really, _really_ hard, but still adds in, “Yes, Hinata. _Karasuno. With the King.”_ He hoped his message got across to Oikawa.

Thank God a light of understanding shone in his eyes.

“Yeah, we knew you wanted to go there originally, and we also wanted to give you a chance to, y’know. Show that guy you’ve gotten better, that you’re more than better than him.”

They played this bullshit game once in a while, and yes, it wasn’t good to give into Hinata all the time and spoil him, but it made him happy, and a Happy Hinata made a Happy Seijoh.

The pleasantly surprised look on his face was always worth it. But now they’d have to schedule a practice match with _them_ and Oikawa just wanted to groan out of frustration. Can’t he ever catch a break? No. Because for some reason the universe loves throwing curveballs at him and he has to deal with the aftermath, all of this on top of doing his best to keep Shouyou smiling.

But at least their jealousy was assuaged for now, and they no longer had to worry about some stupid basketball team trying to take away his attention. (Of course they would have to keep the other teams at bay- the sheer athletic ability he had was envied and desired by all of them.)

And now there’s a match with some crows they have to schedule. It’s not that they have to worry about whether they’ll accept- it’s about keeping Oikawa’s attitude in check and Hinata’s excitement under control. But it’s okay. Because they’re Seijoh, and they always got it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dear- this was a really short chapter, sorry about that! I've been really busy with college stuff and getting all my classes situated. As much as I would love to spend my time writing this story (like, legitimately), I'm unfortunately taking 18 credit hours, I'm double majoring, and all my professors seem to love piling on alllll the homework! Online classes sure are something else, I'll tell you that for sure. I kinda miss being a freshman sometimes. 
> 
> I hope you all aren't too disappointed with this chapter. It was something in the works way earlier, and I really wanted to get something out to you all, so I tried my best to clean this small bit up. I wish I could say I knew when the next chapter was coming out, but I definitely won't keep you all waiting more than a month this time. 
> 
> I appreciate all the sweet comments while I was gone. Reading every single one of them puts a smile on my face! I hope you all enjoy, and as always, constructive criticism is more than welcome.


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